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Atlanta Braves’ Double-A baseball team moving to Columbus gets new name

mark rice
·3 min read

When a professional baseball team plays its home games in Columbus for the first time in 17 years, starting in April, the drought will be quenched by a club wearing uniforms emblazoned with the 16th different name representing the city since 1885.

The Atlanta Braves’ Double-A baseball affiliate moving from Mississippi to the Chattahoochee Valley will be called the Columbus Clingstones.

New York-based Diamond Baseball Holdings, which owns and operates 34 minor-league baseball teams, including all the Braves’ affiliates, made the announcement Friday night during the Uptown Columbus concert at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center.

Why the new name of the Atlanta Braves’ Double-A baseball team will be the Columbus Clingstones

DBH explained in a news release that the clingstone peach is “one of the most popular varieties of peaches, named for its flesh that stubbornly clings to the pit, signifying the grit and determination the team will display on the field as well as an unyielding commitment to the community. Both the name and the logo embrace the peach as an iconic representation of the state of Georgia.”

Pete Laven, the team’s general manager, said in the news release, “There is no better way to signal our pride in and passion for the Peach State than by paying homage to the fruit itself. The new name and logo are fun, yes, but we’re incredibly humbled by the deeper meaning around clinging to the heart of this community as we build the next chapter of baseball in Columbus.

“Columbus has always been a baseball town, and we are so proud to be bringing it back. We can’t wait for fans to embrace our new identity when they walk through the gates at Synovus Park next season.”

Pete Laven, general manager of the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball franchise, speaks to the crowd Sept. 6, 2024, in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center, where the team’s new name, the Columbus Clingstones, was announced in advance of the club’s move from Pearl, Mississippi.
Pete Laven, general manager of the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball franchise, speaks to the crowd Sept. 6, 2024, in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center, where the team’s new name, the Columbus Clingstones, was announced in advance of the club’s move from Pearl, Mississippi.

Columbus Clingstones logo

The Columbus Clingstones logo and branding feature a smiling, anthropomorphic rendition of a clingstone peach. No wonder the team’s primary color is peach. Black, Kelly green and yellow are the secondary colors.

This is the logo for the Columbus Clingstones, the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball affiliate moving from Mississippi to the Chattahoochee Valley, where the team will play its Southern League home games in Synovus Park, the city’s historic baseball stadium previously named Golden Park and undergoing a $50 million renovation.
This is the logo for the Columbus Clingstones, the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball affiliate moving from Mississippi to the Chattahoochee Valley, where the team will play its Southern League home games in Synovus Park, the city’s historic baseball stadium previously named Golden Park and undergoing a $50 million renovation.

Columbus Clingstones uniform jerseys

Here are renderings of Columbus Clingstones uniform jerseys:

This is a rendering of the peach jersey for the Columbus Clingstones, the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball affiliate moving from Mississippi to the Chattahoochee Valley.
This is a rendering of the peach jersey for the Columbus Clingstones, the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball affiliate moving from Mississippi to the Chattahoochee Valley.
This is a rendering of the black jersey for the Columbus Clingstones, the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball affiliate moving from Mississippi to the Chattahoochee Valley.
This is a rendering of the black jersey for the Columbus Clingstones, the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball affiliate moving from Mississippi to the Chattahoochee Valley.
This is a rendering of the gray jersey for the Columbus Clingstones, the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball affiliate moving from Mississippi to the Chattahoochee Valley.
This is a rendering of the gray jersey for the Columbus Clingstones, the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball affiliate moving from Mississippi to the Chattahoochee Valley.

Columbus Clingstones merchandise

Columbus Clingstones merchandise was on sale at the Uptown Columbus concert, including these items:

Columbus Clingstones merchandise was on sale during the Uptown Columbus concert Sept. 6, 2024, in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center, where the new name of the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball team moving from to the Chattahoochee Valley from Mississippi was announced.
Columbus Clingstones merchandise was on sale during the Uptown Columbus concert Sept. 6, 2024, in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center, where the new name of the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball team moving from to the Chattahoochee Valley from Mississippi was announced.
Columbus Clingstones merchandise was on sale during the Uptown Columbus concert Sept. 6, 2024, in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center, where the new name of the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball team moving from to the Chattahoochee Valley from Mississippi was announced.
Columbus Clingstones merchandise was on sale during the Uptown Columbus concert Sept. 6, 2024, in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center, where the new name of the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball team moving from to the Chattahoochee Valley from Mississippi was announced.
Columbus Clingstones merchandise was on sale during the Uptown Columbus concert Sept. 6, 2024, in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center, where the new name of the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball team moving from to the Chattahoochee Valley from Mississippi was announced.
Columbus Clingstones merchandise was on sale during the Uptown Columbus concert Sept. 6, 2024, in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center, where the new name of the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball team moving from to the Chattahoochee Valley from Mississippi was announced.
Columbus Clingstones merchandise was on sale during the Uptown Columbus concert Sept. 6, 2024, in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center, where the new name of the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball team moving from to the Chattahoochee Valley from Mississippi was announced.
Columbus Clingstones merchandise was on sale during the Uptown Columbus concert Sept. 6, 2024, in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center, where the new name of the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball team moving from to the Chattahoochee Valley from Mississippi was announced.
Columbus Clingstones merchandise was on sale during the Uptown Columbus concert Sept. 6, 2024, in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center, where the new name of the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball team moving from to the Chattahoochee Valley from Mississippi was announced.
Columbus Clingstones merchandise was on sale during the Uptown Columbus concert Sept. 6, 2024, in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center, where the new name of the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball team moving from to the Chattahoochee Valley from Mississippi was announced.
Columbus Clingstones merchandise was on sale during the Uptown Columbus concert Sept. 6, 2024, in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center, where the new name of the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball team moving from to the Chattahoochee Valley from Mississippi was announced.
Columbus Clingstones merchandise was on sale during the Uptown Columbus concert Sept. 6, 2024, in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center, where the new name of the Atlanta Braves Double-A minor league baseball team moving from to the Chattahoochee Valley from Mississippi was announced.

Columbus Clingstones mascot

Although DBH didn’t include fans in a public process to determine the team’s name, it will conduct a contest to allow fans to help choose the mascot’s name. Details about the contest will be announced later. Fans can get updates by visiting the team’s website, clingstones.com.

Names of the previous minor-league baseball teams that played in Columbus

According to the Baseball Reference, here are the previous minor-league baseball teams that have represented Columbus while playing at the city’s Golden Park, now named Synovus Park, which is undergoing a $50 million renovation to upgrade the stadium in time for the April start of the 2025 Southern League season:

  • Columbus Stars, Southern League, 1885

  • Columbus Babies, Southern Association, 1896

  • Columbus Babies, Southeastern League 1897

  • Columbus River Snipes, Georgia State League, 1906

  • Columbus Foxes, South Atlantic League, 1909-17, 1956-57

  • Columbus Foxes, Southeastern League, 1926-30, 1932

  • Columbus Red Birds, South Atlantic League, 1936-42

  • Columbus Cardinals, South Atlantic League 1946-55

  • Columbus Foxes, Georgia-Alabama League, 1958

  • Columbus Pirates, South Atlantic League, 1959

  • Columbus Confederate Yankees, Southern League, 1964-66

  • Columbus White Sox, Southern League, 1969

  • Columbus Astros, Southern League, 1970-88

  • Columbus Mudcats, Southern League, 1989-90

  • Columbus Indians, South Atlantic League, 1991

  • Columbus RedStixx, South Atlantic League, 1992-2002

  • South Georgia Waves, South Atlantic League, 2003

  • Columbus Catfish, South Atlantic League, 2004-08.

This artist’s rendering shows what Golden Park, now named Synovus Park, is planned to look like when the $50 million renovation of the 98-year-old baseball stadium in Columbus is completed in time for the 2025 arrival of the Atlanta Braves Class AA minor league affiliate moving from Mississippi.
This artist’s rendering shows what Golden Park, now named Synovus Park, is planned to look like when the $50 million renovation of the 98-year-old baseball stadium in Columbus is completed in time for the 2025 arrival of the Atlanta Braves Class AA minor league affiliate moving from Mississippi.

Names of the Columbus Clingstones’ opponents

The Mississippi Braves, who have played their home games for 20 seasons in the Jackson suburb of Pearl, are the only current Southern League team whose name is the same as the affiliated Major League Baseball franchise. So when the Columbus Clingstones debut in 2025, they will join these Southern League teams:

North Division

  • Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox)

  • Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds)

  • Rocket City (Huntsville) Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels)

  • Tennessee (Knoxville) Smokies (Chicago Cubs)

South Division

  • Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers)

  • Columbus Clingstones (Atlanta Braves)

  • Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays)

  • Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins)